Change of govt necessary in democracy: Sartaj

Chronicle Reporter, Bhopal, The leaders of both Congress and BJP are sure they will form the next government in the state. The BJP has dismissed the exit poll results and expressed confidence that it will form government in the state.

Senior leader Sartaj Singh, who rebelled from BJP and joined Congress, said this time Congress will form the government in the state. He said Congress will bag at least 140 seats. He said the people of the state want change.

The BJP has been ruling for 15 years. Change is essential for the success of democracy. Political experts feel that the results of the assembly elections will have a direct impact on the country’s political equations ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

A favorable outcome for the Congress will establish the political stature of its president, Rahul Gandhi, among the opposition parties. Otherwise, the Congress will have no option but to lay down its weapons before the regional satraps in the Lok Sabha elections.

If the BJP fails to continue its winning streak, as the exit polls indicate, it will be a major blow for the ruling party ahead of the general elections. An aggressive BJP will have to be on the defensive vis-a-vis its allies. In such a situation, the allies may put pressure on the BJP on seat-sharing.

The results of these elections will have a great impact on national politics. If the Congress wins at least two of the big states, the anti-BJP political parties are bound to come under Congress and will also strengthen Rahul Gandhi’s acceptability among the opposition parties.

The coming months would be crucial for the opposition parties and would see their coming together to counter the BJP. The assembly elections are being termed the “semifinal” ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and have created a now-or-never situation for the Congress.

Both the BJP and the Congress know that the election results would also pave the way for a realignment of alliance politics in the future.

The difficulty for the BJP is that it rules three of the five states whereas the Congress has no choice but to ensure positive results.